Alternative Medicine Association Protest Proposed Merge With Traditional Medicine
The National Complementary And Alternative Medical Association (NACAMA)Nigeria has opposed the moves for the establishment of Federal College of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine of Nigeria.
Prof. Peter Emeka Katchy, the National president of NACAMA told journalists on Sunday that the objection was on the backdrop of the fact that it was misnomer to lump “Traditional Medicine” and “Complementary and Alternative” into one body as they were parallel to each other.
Katchy said the association was protesting the call for memoranda and public hearing on a bill public hearing on the proposed merger scheduled for Monday.
He said the lawmakers should instead make an Act of the Legislator the draft bill for an Act for the establishment of Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) which was already in existence.
He said the institution which was situated at No.505 Wushishi Crescent, Abuja was closed down in October 2010 by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and that a committee had been set up by federal government to look into the issues surrounding the closure.
According to him, NACAMA is “vehemently opposed” to the traditional medicine being merged with it because Traditional Medicine is of parallel relationship with Complementary and Alternative Medical Practice.
“Both of them are of different content and practice, they should therefore, not be collapsed into one.
“Traditional Medicine involves healthcare delivery methods and practice that are directly traceable or related to culture and ancestral heritage of the people while Alternative medicine refers to the practice of different approaches to management of ailments not typically used in Allopathic Practice-conventional Orthodox Medicine,” he said.
Katchy said Complementary and Alternative Medicine was given a statutory flavour in Nigeria after its incorporation into the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria by Decree 78 of 1992 and that NACAMA was formed and registered with the Corporate Commission in 2009.
He expressed dismay as to why public hearing was being held with respect to an issue in which his association is deeply involved and yet it was not invited.
“This followed a letter of recommendation written by the Federal Ministry of Health to the Registrar General of CAC in 2008 indicating the recognition of NACAMA as approved by the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Besides, the bill for which public hearing is being held has not passed first and second reading to conform to parliamentary rules.
“The haste to pass the bill is suspicious because even though the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) has been shut down, there has been yearly budgetary appropriation to it up to 2020.
